Here we go again

Although the gardening here has been continuous, my blogging hasn't been so steady.  I hate to be inconsistent.  I enjoy posting our little garden happenings.

I've decided I need a gardening journal.  My Florida Gardening book has notes illegibly scribbled throughout.  My handwriting has never been neat, and it's hit an all-time elementary school boy low {no offense males}.  And, those marginal margins just aren't cutting it. Every growing season brings new ideas, mistakes to amend, sketched garden layouts, and much more than the minimal white of my book pages can hold.

Here are the green beginnings of rainbow carrots.  Next post you will see two and a half months worth of growth.  It is a whole lot greener now!

Last fall my carrots, along with other root vegetables, had a difficult time growing in my garden.  I'm still unsure if that was something I did or didn't do, or maybe my soil??  This year I tried containers and the outcome is much better than last year's.  * Note for future garden journal * --  NEED many more containers for next years carrots!  I am anxious to pull these babies out of the garden and see the beautiful spectrum of colors.  I'm hoping they continue to grow as they should.  I have noticed some colors peeking through the soil beneath the carrot foliage.  Fingers are crossed here.

The children are also growing well.  Just as gardening is an ongoing experiment and learning experience, so is raising a child.  Sometimes our parental methods have to be switched up, and new strategies tried.  Each child is different.  What works for one may not work for another.  Too bad kids don't come with instructions as my seeds packets do.  I guess that is part of the fun of parenting.  When you were a child did you ever like to pick the brown paper surprise grab bag?  I did.  You just never know what you're gonna get. 

 

Last year the kale failed, and we were very disappointed.  Two years ago it was like a weed we couldn't control.  Well, I'm happy to say I'm feeling good about this years' kale.  I think last year was too warm, halting our vegetables' growth.  We've had some cooler days this time around and I think it is making all the difference. 

We harvested 16 satsumas last month!  That's right, 16.  I had to count -- because each one of those satsumas meant so much to us.  Lame, I know.  But our tree is young and gave us one lonely satsuma the previous year.  We were thrilled when these sixteen grew.  We took our time with them and enjoyed them. (Well, as much as we could with little ones jumping up and down, tugging at our clothes, while we peeled them.)

Pictures to come soon of the garden -  two and a half months in....